Deception (Infidelity #3)(107)

I disconnected the call and called Deloris. Thankfully, she answered right away.

“Alex. What can I do for you?”

I wiped my nose with the back of my hand and licked my salty lips. My mouth was suddenly dry as I worked to keep the tears silent. “I need to get to Savannah.”

“What?” she asked.

I stood, and with the phone to my ear, I paced small circles in the cafe. “My mother’s ill. I just found out. I don’t know any details, but I know I need to get there. Something’s wrong, terribly wrong.”

“Clayton and I’ll go with you,” Deloris volunteered.

I nodded. “Thank you. I called Nox, but he didn’t answer.” One hand went to my necklace. “I’m not running as I did when Chelsea was hurt, but I need to go now.”

“Tell Clayton to take you to the airport. I’ll have a plane ready. Lennox will surely want to come when he finds out.”

My chest ached as my regrets grew. “Deloris, I’ve said some things to my mother over the years… but I love her.”

“Of course you do.”

“I-I’m not sure if Alton… I don’t know about staying at the manor. If Nox…” I’d never had a man stay with me in Savannah. I’d never had one who I wanted to have stay with me. All I knew was that if my mother was ill, the choice would be up to Alton, and I doubted he’d be as accommodating as Oren had been in Westchester County.

“I’ll book a suite for the two of you in Savannah. Unless you want to stay at your home.”

I let out the breath I’d been holding. “A suite would be wonderful. No, I don’t want to stay there. My home is here in New York. That’s just a house.” A house of horrors was what Patrick called it. “A suite would be perfect.”

“Alex, go tell Clayton. Let me get everything else settled.”

“Thank you,” I said with relief as I turned, my eyes meeting Clayton’s.

We met halfway across the cafe. No doubt he could see my wordless plea. “Ma’am?”

“I just spoke to Deloris. I need to get to Savannah. She said to have you take me to the airport.” I shook my head. “But she didn’t say which one.”

“I’m sure she meant the private hangars, but I’ll call and check. Give me five minutes, and I’ll have the car out front on 116th Street.”

I nodded and waved him away as my phone vibrated.





NOX - PRIVATE NUMBER


“Nox,” I answered.

“Princess, wait for me. I can leave in a couple of hours.”

I shook my head. “No.”

“No?”

“It’s over a two-hour flight. Deloris is getting it set up,” I explained, more composed than I’d been only minutes earlier. “I don’t want to wait any longer than necessary. I don’t know what’s happening. The way Jane sounded, it’s not good.”

“I don’t want you walking in there alone.”

I reached for my necklace. “I’m not alone. You’re always with me.”

“Charli.”

I closed my eyes. “I have to do this for my momma.” I choked on the word. “Please understand. Deloris will be there, and she said she’d get us a suite in Savannah. I won’t stay at the manor. Hopefully, I can find out where my mother is, and I won’t even need to go to the manor.”

“Princess,” he implored, “a couple of hours.”

“I love you, Nox. I’ll be safe. I promise, and I’ll see you tonight. Text me as soon as you land in Savannah.”

“You text me. Let me know what’s happening. No matter what, Charli, I’m there for you.”

I nodded. “I know. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Clayton had been right about the private hangar. Lennox didn’t own his own plane, but Demetri Enterprises had some kind of leasing contract to ensure that one was always available, whether for him, Oren, or any other high-ranking member of their company.

“Are you sure this is okay?” I asked Deloris. “I mean this is a business contract. This isn’t business.”

She patted my hand as the plane taxied on the runway and we waited for our turn to take off. “Yes, it’s fine. You have an in with one of the CEO’s. He said you could.”

My cheeks rose. “Thank you for helping me. I’m scared.”

“What do you know?”

“Nothing.”

“How’d you learn about this?”

“Chelsea,” I replied, not thinking about anything but what could be happening in Savannah.

“Chelsea?”

Deloris’s reaction reminded me of Chelsea’s plea for anonymity. “I’m not supposed to tell anyone it was her.”

“She called you?”

“Text,” I said as I found my phone in my purse and swiped the screen. Seconds later I handed it to her. “See. She doesn’t want anyone to know. I don’t understand why I wasn’t called before now if my mother’s so ill.”

After reading the text, Deloris turned on her iPad. “Chelsea said some hospital. Let me do a search of hospitals in the area and see what I can find.”